Mobile communication apparatus and radio communication method

Abstract

A mobile communication apparatus includes a radio interface and a processor. The radio interface performs a search for an access point. When a signal level of a signal received from an access point detected by the search is greater than a first threshold, the processor allows a connection to the access point. When the signal level of the signal received from the access point is less than or equal to the first threshold, the processor determines an interval to the next search in accordance with whether the signal level is greater than a second threshold that is less than the first threshold.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile communication apparatus comprising:
 a radio interface configured to perform a search for an access point; and   a processor configured to allow a connection to an access point detected by the search when a signal level of a signal received from the detected access point is greater than a first threshold, and to determine an interval to a next search in accordance with whether the signal level is greater than a second threshold when the signal level is less than or equal to the first threshold, the second threshold being less than the first threshold.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein when the signal level is greater than the second threshold, the processor sets the interval to the next search to be shorter than an interval that is set when the signal level is less than or equal to the second threshold. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein when the signal level is greater than the second threshold, the processor performs control such that a search for an access point is successively performed a plurality of times at predetermined intervals, the predetermined intervals being shorter than intervals at which a search for an access point is performed when the signal level is less than or equal to the second threshold. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor sets the interval to the next search to be equal to or longer than an immediately preceding interval when the signal level is less than or equal to the second threshold, and sets the interval to the next search to be shorter than the immediately preceding interval when the signal level is greater than the second threshold. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor limits channels to be subjected to the next search to one or more channels including a channel used by the detected access point, and a number of channels to be subjected to the next search is less than a number of channels subjected to the search. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sensor configured to detect a movement of the mobile communication apparatus;   wherein when the signal level is greater than the second threshold, the processor determines the interval to the next search in accordance with whether a movement of the mobile communication apparatus is detected.   
     
     
         7 . The mobile communication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor calculates a difference between the signal level and a signal level of a previous signal received from the detected access point, and determines the interval to the next search in accordance with the calculated difference when the signal level is greater than the second threshold. 
     
     
         8 . A radio communication method comprising:
 performing, by a mobile communication apparatus, a search for an access point;   allowing, by the mobile communication apparatus, a connection to an access point detected by the search, when a signal level of a signal received from the detected access point is greater than a first threshold; and   determining, by the mobile communication apparatus, an interval to a next search in accordance with whether the signal level is greater than a second threshold, when the signal level is less than or equal to the first threshold, the second threshold being less than the first threshold.   
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that causes a computer included in a mobile communication apparatus to perform a procedure comprising:
 causing the mobile communication apparatus to perform a search for an access point;   allowing a connection to an access point detected by the search, when a signal level of a signal received from the detected access point is greater than a first threshold; and   determining an interval to a next search in accordance with whether the signal level is greater than a second threshold, when the signal level is less than or equal to the first threshold, the second threshold being less than the first threshold.